TORONTO - Ontario Power Generation says salaries for its executives are expected to rise by up to $8 million in the next few years as the provincial government lifts a public-sector wage freeze.

Meanwhile, transit agency Metrolinx is proposing to boost its CEO’s pay by up to $118,000, which would see him earn a maximum of $479,500.

All broader public sector agencies are being tasked with posting their proposals for new executive compensation packages under guidelines that came into force in September.

The government sent colleges back to the drawing board after concerns were raised about the salary comparators that they were using for proposals that would boost presidents’ salaries by up to 50 per cent.

OPG landed on a maximum salary of $3.8 million for its CEO — who currently earns $1.5 million — though it says it is setting the target significantly lower.

Spokesman Neal Kelly says the CEO’s salary will actually remain unchanged for three years, but the other approximately 80 executives will now be eligible for merit pay, and when the new program is fully implemented in 2019, that’s expected to cost an extra $6 million to $8 million annually.

OPG, which operates two nuclear sites, was granted permission by the government to use private-sector comparators, as the size and scope of its operations are “more complex than those of many other public sector organizations in Canada” and it has primarily recruited its executives from the private sector.

A spokesman for Energy Minister Glenn Thibeault said the safe operation of Ontario’s large nuclear generating stations requires “technical experts of the highest standard.”

“We fundamentally believe Ontario Power Generation must be able attract and retain this highly specialized expert talent to ensure the safety of Ontario’s nuclear power generation system and deliver key nuclear projects such as the Darlington Refurbishment,” Dan Moulton said in a statement.

OPG is responsible for more than $40 billion in assets, and has $5 billion in annual revenue and more than 9,000 employees.

Metrolinx spokesman Anne Marie Aikins says the agency’s human resources committee will make a recommendation to the board of directors on where, within the $375,300 to $479,500 range, the president’s salary should fall once the public consultation is over.

Public sector agencies are required to post their executive compensation proposals publicly for 30 days of comment. Metrolinx’s proposal is available in a link on the homepage of its website.

OPG’s public comment period is over, but it received four public comments.

TORONTO – Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are proposing to review the salaries of public sector CEOs and other executives if they win next year’s election.

The announcement comes a day after The Canadian Press reported that Ontario Power Generation pay for about 80 executives will rise by up to $8 million over the next few years and transit agency Metrolinx is proposing to boost its CEO’s pay by up to $118,000.

As a wage freeze lifts, all broader public sector agencies have until September to post their proposals for new executive compensation packages under a framework that caps salaries at the 50th percentile of “appropriate comparators.”

OPG landed on a maximum salary of $3.8 million for its CEO – who currently earns $1.5 million – though it says it is setting the target significantly lower.

Progressive Conservative critic Michael Harris called it “the tip of the iceberg.”

“How many more of these new compensation packages are taxpayers going to be on the hook for?” he said. “All the while, regular families struggle to make ends meet.”

The Ministry of Energy fired back, saying Ontario has to “attract and retain highly specialized experts” to ensure nuclear – and therefore public – safety.

“The PCs would rather have Homer Simpson running our nuclear power plants than the best and the brightest technical operators in the world,” spokesman Dan Moulton said in a statement.

OPG has said the CEO’s salary will actually remain unchanged for three years, but the other approximately 80 executives will now be eligible for merit pay, and when the new program is fully implemented in 2019, that’s expected to cost an extra $6 million to $8 million annually.

OPG, which operates two nuclear sites and is responsible for more than $40 billion in assets, was granted permission by the government to use private-sector comparators, as the size and scope of its operations are “more complex than those of many other public sector organizations in Canada” and it has primarily recruited its executives from the private sector.

Metrolinx is proposing a range of $375,300 to $479,500 for its CEO, and the agency’s human resources committee will recommend target salaries to the board of directors once its receives public feedback.

Metrolinx came under fire in the latest auditor general report for not holding contractors and design consultants accountable for projects that were late or inadequate and still awarding new work to contractors that had performed poorly in the past, and it is also dealing with a troublesome joint roll-out of the Presto card system with the Toronto Transit Commission.

The government sent colleges back to the drawing board after concerns were raised about the salary comparators that they were using for proposals that would boost presidents’ salaries by up to 50 per cent.

Harris said the same should be done in these circumstances.

“(Minister) Deb Matthews called the colleges’ increases of up to 50 per cent unacceptable, so why no comment today on potentially the increases over at OPG and Metrolinx?” he said. “(Premier) Kathleen Wynne has to step in and take the same stance her minister did with regards to the colleges and say this is unacceptable.”

The Treasury Board said it expects that all public-sector employers will stick to the rules.

“This plan strikes an appropriate balance between being able to hire and retain talent and ensuring public transparency and appropriate salary caps,” spokesman Matt Ostergard said in a statement.

“Just as we did with Ontario Colleges, if we feel the process is not carried out properly, or does not reflect adequate or relevant comparators, we will ask the agency to go back and resubmit their proposal.”

The NDP says the raises and proposed raises are a slap in the face to Ontarians, most of whom also haven’t seen a pay increase in years.

Public sector agencies are required to post their executive compensation proposals publicly for 30 days of comment. Metrolinx’s proposal is available in a link on the homepage of its website. OPG’s public comment period is over, but it received four public comments.

Premier Kathleen Wynne says Ontario Power Generation must come up with a more reasonable salary range than the $3.8-million cap it arrived at for the CEO.

Her comments to The Canadian Press come after her government faced days of criticism for raises totalling up to $8 million for about 80 executives at OPG and a potential raise of up to $118,000 for the head of transit agency Metrolinx.

As a wage freeze lifts, all broader public sector agencies have until September to post their proposals for new executive compensation packages.

But after public outcry over the OPG salaries and proposed Metrolinx raises, the government sent a memo today to the more than 300 broader public sector organizations saying it expects any increases to be “modest.”

OPG has said that even though the CEO’s salary cap is $3.8 million — up from the current salary of $1.5 million — he would earn significantly less, but Wynne says she thinks OPG said that because they know it’s too high.

Meanwhile, Treasury Board President Liz Sandals is apologizing for saying most GO train riders likely don’t have the qualifications to run a multi-billion-dollar corporation or nuclear operations.

Sandals made the remarks when she was asked how she thinks the raises look to people sitting on a delayed GO train.

She says she intended to “explain the need to recruit and retain a small number of highly specialized professionals who hold unique qualifications and experience and the connection to the salary expectations of the public.”

Sandals says in doing so she used language that was “insensitive” and doesn’t reflect her views.

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